


Leap of Faith

by AgentCodywolf



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Fighting, M/M, Space Pirate AU, Space Pirates, Tags will be added as story is developed, imperial agents - Freeform, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-04-18 04:04:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14204640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentCodywolf/pseuds/AgentCodywolf
Summary: Commander Cody Ghent, a top agent for Warlord Palpatine, son of the revered Admiral Justin Ghent, would be the first to deny he knew anything about the notorious Pirate, General Ben Kenobi of the frigate, The Negotiator. He would also be lying, but no one needed to know that. No one needed to know a lot of things, until they realized he knew too much. In a matter of months, Cody goes from decorated war hero to most wanted criminal in the Imperial Federation. His only hope? Going to the people who almost hate him as much as the government he had been loyal to all his life. The Pirate Hordes. Ben was going to laugh his ass off over this, Cody just knew it.





	1. Where it Started to Break

Being in a relationship is like knowing the steps of a complex dance that spans years and galaxies and musical movements. That was the best way his father had explained it to him the one time Cody had asked if the man had ever loved someone. Had ever loved his mother. He knew his father didn’t love him, had known it since he had become aware of himself and the world and the cold corpse shielding him from a crumbling building. Love was for weak-willed children who got their mothers killed, his father had explained. A relationship like his parents was built on trust, hope and some of that childish love. His father refused to ever have a relationship with him and Cody had accepted his fate just like he had accepted the rest of his life. With a little pain from what was left of his heart, a stiff back and a curt nod to his commanding officer. Not his father but his commanding officer. That man was not his father. His father was dead and buried next to his wife.

Cody shook his head and focused back on the lines of space through his viewport. The ship hummed around him like the well-oiled machine it was, control boards glowing brightly. It was as good as his father had said it was. Father, commanding officer, the man who had died to save the crippled soldier who had been placed on the execution block, they were all the same. His anger towards his father was not misplaced, but it now tasted bittersweet in his mouth. The entire galaxy knew that Admiral Justin Ghent and his son, Commander Cody Ghent, did not get along at all. For as long as either of them could remember, they had been compared to the perfect military duo. Cody had stopped talking back to his father years ago, had completely skipped over the rebellious teenage years. He was the perfect soldier and his father was the perfect commanding officer. There was not a father-son dynamic in there. It would make them both weak.

 

_“I’m so proud of you, son.”_

Cody focused on the glowing board that his feet were propped up on. His father had turned everything on its head and then shoved it at Cody without a second thought. He’d been injured plenty of times, had nearly died just as many. This time shouldn’t have been any different, but it had been. He’d been able to walk away from the others. This time…this time walking was not an option.

 

_When the ship had blown up behind him before he had planned it to, Cody knew his time had finally run out. When the world had gone black and the screaming had finally been silenced. He wasn’t expecting to wake up in an all-white, sterile room back on Fort Ragmar, beeping machine’s informing the nursing station that the patient was finally awake. It was only seconds later that a doctor and two nurses were there, fussing over the very confused patient. Cody wanted answers; the doctor was not being too willing in sharing them._

_“We’ll worry about details later, sir,” the young doctor said, his blonde hair neatly trimmed. That was one of the things about Quinton and Fort Ragmar Cody hated most. They were all very neat and orderly, everything screaming military efficiency._

_“I would like to know how I got from a mission in Pirate Space to all the way back to Fort Ragmar, Doctor,” Cody growled, ignoring the strain on his chest as he forced himself into a seat position. “And you will tell me now.”_

_“Well, I don’t know how you got here,” the doctor gulped, Cody’s reputation among the healing staff well known to him. “Because that’s been classified, but I can tell you what I do know.”_

_“Do I need to hold your hand, Doctor?” Cody snapped and the man jumped._

_“No, sir. Of course not, sir. You were brought in with a mild concussion, a few broken ribs, a couple bruised ribs, severe contusions and burns on 36% of you body, dislocated shoulder, shrapnel wounds that had been cleaned and treated, and you right leg was broken in multiple locations. From my examination of your body while we had you in surgery, I would say at one point you were buried under some sort of collapsed metal structure.”_

_“When will I be out?” Cody shifted back to ease the strain off his chest._

_“You’ll be able to leave in about a week, sir, but…. sir, the leg,” the man chewed at his bottom lip. “You leg was too damaged. We were able to save it but, but we only estimate it to get up to maybe 75% of its use back. You are…crippled, sir.”_

_“Then cut it off,” Cody heard the words from a distance, like he was underwater. “Cut it off and get me a robot leg. I’ve seen it done, I know it will work.”_

_“We suggested that to the Admiral, sir, but he denied the request immediately. He said that the Warlord himself thinks its time for you to retire, sir. Please don’t kill me,” the doctor took a step away._

_“Go,” Cody growled. “Get out. Now.”_

_Cody stared at the wall as the man bobbed his head and mumbled “Yes, sir” a few times as he rushed out. He heard the man apologize to someone in the hallway and then his door was closing._

_“That very nice doctor forgot to mention that you were dead for 37 seconds on the operating table as they attempted to fix your heart,” the Admiral’s voice was its usual monotone blandness Cody was all too familiar with. “It won’t handle too much more in its current state.”_

_“You must be so happy, sir,” Cody continued to stare at the wall. “I will finally be out of your hair, sir.”_

_“I am far from happy, Commander,” the Admiral moved directly into the center of his line of sight. “The paperwork I have had to go through to get you back here, with these doctors? I saved your life, boy. Be a little more grateful.”_

_“I thought I wasn’t worth saving, sir,” Cody hissed out through clenched teeth._

_“A commander in the Imperial Navy is never worth sending a fleet into Pirate Space for,” the Admiral examined his nails. “But you are not just any ordinary commander, now are you?”_

_“What does that mean?”_

_“It means that if you had returned to Quinton as your mission detailed should you have been successful, you would have been branded a traitor and given a public execution. Now that you’ve returned a crippled war hero, the odds are more in our favor to reunite you with your…friends,” the Admiral glanced up at Cody. “I have made many mistakes in my life, boy, but this is not one of them.”_

_“I won’t be fit for travel for some time and even then my heart probably won’t be able to handle it. I’m better off dead,” Cody scoffed. “Sir.”_

_“I know someone who can take care of your heart and it wouldn’t be safe to move forward with my plan until a later date,” the Admiral smirked. “Trust me.”_

_“Why are you doing this? Why save me? You hate me,” Cody glared at the Admiral._

_“I have never hated you. I am doing this because over the past few years, I have realized the error of my ways. I should…. I should have been a better father to you, but I wasn’t and I am…. am sorry for that,” the Admiral leaned back against the wall. “You hold information within you that very few are privy to. You are valuable to the Empire in ways I had not realized until now. Which makes you even more valuable to the Pirates. We are fighting on the wrong side and I wonder why you are still here.”_

Cody had wondered that often enough himself. Why had he stayed for all this time, fighting for a cause he had never believed in?


	2. Where it Begins Again

For a long time, he could say it was because he didn’t want to disappoint his father anymore than he already had. He wanted to prove he was someone his father could be proud of, someone that was worthy of being related to his father. After a time, though, it didn’t matter anymore. He’d come to terms that his father did not love him and would never love him. He’d continued on in his career because it was what he knew and he had men counting on him. They were his responsibility and it was his duty to be there for them as a strong foundation. He could have left at any point, but he couldn’t. He still had ties to the Empire, to the Warlord’s Navy, but they were gone now. They’d been severed when his father had let out the very last bit of air from his lungs in Cody’s arms in the middle of the Palace Plaza.

He was the one who was suppose to die that day, not his father. Not the man who had put his career on the line to protect the boy his wife had loved enough to die for. Cody wasn’t important enough for both his parents and numerous others to lay their lives down for him. At least, at first he had thought that. Now…. now he realized he was wrong. He knew more about the inner workings of the Imperial government than most of the officials who were running the government. He knew more about the bases and the military outposts than most. He knew all about the naval factories and training facilities. He wanted revenge and he knew a group who would be able to take what he gave them and bring the Imperials to their knees. He was dangerous to the Empire and the Warlord had known that. That’s why Cody had been nearly executed, that’s why the Admiral was dead, and that was why his mission had been compromised. Cody knew too much and was not willing to roll over and play dumb.

Maybe it was Ben that had not only changed Cody but the Admiral as well. The Admiral seemed to know all to well what his prized commander got up to when he was given shore leave. Two weeks on a backwater planet was easily ignored but not the movements of one of the Pirates more prominent generals. They’d talked about it once and never again, but the Admiral had made it clear that while he was happy that his commander was finally proving he did in fact have a heart, he would have preferred that his chosen was from their side of Wild Space. Other than that, the Admiral had never tried to discourage Cody’s “relationship” with Ben. If a relationship could be what it was called. They saw each other maybe once a year, if that. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Their activities were kept very private, but over time Cody had found that he had come to learn a lot about the Pirate and the Pirate knew a lot more about him.

At that moment, a light on his control board started to flicker. An incoming call. Good, that means Ben had picked up his beacon. It was very simple, just a two-way transmitter. It could only connect with its twin that was in Ben’s possession. Cody hadn’t used it for at least two years now, but he’d never lost it or forgotten about it. He leaned forward and tapped the button next to the flashing light.

“Wanna tell me why it’s taken you over a year to let me know you’re ok?” Ben’s gruff voice filled the cockpit, immediately setting Cody at ease. He leaned back against his chair, smiling a little.

“I’ve been busy. Died a few times and the like,” Cody said softly.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” Ben sounded like he was frowning. Cody could imagine it, could even see how Ben’s beard seemed to wilt a bit when he frowned.

“Where are you?”

“Check your scanners, idjit,” Ben sighed. “Two asteroids over. It’s not easy to hide my girl in an asteroid field, ya know.”

“I know,” Cody nodded, even though he knew Ben wouldn’t see. He glanced over at his scanners, seeing that Ben was telling the truth. His flagship, the _Negotiator_ , was sitting two asteroids over. So close and yet so far. Cody had no idea what Ben had told his crew about him, what those men thought of him. He wondered if they even knew why they were in the middle of the Nebian Asteroid Field on the edge of Wild Space. Maybe. Ben seemed to be on very good terms with his men, treated them like family by the sounds of it. Not that they had talked about it a lot. Actually, now that he thought about it, they had. Ben had talked more than he had. Yet the man seemed to know him so well, even though they had agreed what they had was nothing of importance.

“I was on my way to get you,” Ben said and Cody realized Ben had probably said something and he hadn’t noticed.

“Get me from where?” Cody tilted his head to the side, watching the scanner as the blip that was the _Negotiator_ moved closer to him.

“From Quinton. I’ve been…. I’ve been keeping one eye on Imperial news and I saw the report. They were going to kill you, Codes,” Ben’s voice wavered a little at the end.

“You better not let your men hear you,” Cody tried to lighten the mood, wanting to not think about the execution.

“Please, we’ve watching him pin over you for years, this is,” Cody heard a crash as whoever was answering was violently silenced.

“I told all of you to be quiet!” Ben roared.

“You’re men are listening in?” Cody frowned at this.

“They know. Some know too much for their own good,” Ben sounded very annoyed at this.

“He knew,” Cody said simply, knowing Ben would understand.

“Oh, I bet he hates that,” Ben chuckled.

“He didn’t mind,” Cody forced out.

“There’s not a lot coming out about what happened, ya know. Just that you seem to be the most wanted man in Imperial space now,” Ben pressed, his voice softening a little. “Nothing else. How’d you get out?”

“The Admiral got me out,” Cody hadn’t meant for it to happen, but he used his “military” voice.

“He with you? Its not safe for him either then,” Ben sounded annoyed again. Of course he would be. The Admiral pissed off everyone, even if they had never met him.

“He didn’t make it out,” Cody’s airways tightened up and he cleared his throat, focusing back on the starscape outside. Silence greeted him from the other end of the call as the _Negotiator_ slipped into view before him, as black as the space around him. The first time he had seen her, he had thought she was the phantom ship some of the men had talked about in the mess. She’s all sleek curves and sharp edges and everything that he had ever wanted in a ship. She was a beast to be reckoned with and a crew that knew how to use her power to their advantage, nothing ever wasted.

“What were his last words?” Ben’s voice, gruff and a little strained, filtered through the speakers.

“What?” Cody blinked, not sure what was exactly being asked. “Ben…”

“I’m on my way down to a hanger. We’re going to pull you aboard and then you and I are having a very serious man-to-man talk, but I want to know his last words, Codes. I just…let me help, please,” Ben’s voice was soft but commanding, flowing over Cody like a river, soothing frayed nerves he hadn’t realized had been damaged.

“He said…..” Cody’s eyes swept over the starscape one more time before focusing on the ship that was drawing ever closer, that was pulling him in. “He said to ruin them, to destroy them. To not give an inch. To never surrender. And…. and I’m proud of you, son.”

“You ok?”

“No, I’m far from it. I’m tired, Ben, real tired,” Cody ran a hand over his face. “I feel old and just so lost right now.”

“I know, Codes, I know. But you aren’t alone anymore, you’ve never been alone,” Ben’s voice was strong, confident. “Your father was an idjit and bastard, but he was never wrong. He pushed you because he needed you to be ready for this. We are going to do this together. You and me. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

“I was counting on that,” Cody gave a small smile as his eyes fell on the figure waiting in the airlock at the end of the hanger he was being pulled into. “I may be broken, but I’m not dead yet. There’s still a lot of trouble I plan on getting into.”


	3. Where It Goes Wrong

“I like what I’m hearing,” Ben sounded like he was smiling and Cody could imagine it. All bright white teeth and laughing blue eyes. A smile he only showed in dark rooms, looking down at Cody in the safety of their privacy.

“How smug are you going to be about this? Get the Imperial lapdog to rollover for the big bad pirate?” Cody stood slowly, stretching and letting the familiar twinge in his leg and chest ground him.

“That Imperial rolls over when I ask him nicely, thank you very much,” Ben was definitely using more teeth now. “And I plan on keeping you for myself, go old school and claim my prisoner as my own, not pass him off to the council for trial.”

“Oh, now I’m shaking in my boots,” Cody felt the ship get set down, felt the shaking in the struts as he watched the airlock finally open, Ben striding out in his full Pirate regalia. He never wore it when they met up, staying incognito. Now he was just showing off, for Cody or his men, maybe both.

Cody tapped the console before him before Ben could reply, cutting the transmission. It would probably be the last time he’d get the last word in a long time, so he was going to take what he could. He moved to the back with ease, one hand on the wall till he got to the cargo hold. He wondered if anyone had joined Ben or if he would be alone. Maybe some of his men were waiting to clap him in irons and march him to the brig.

Cody shook himself out of those thoughts and grabbed the cane he left stored back here, unnecessary in the tight quarters of the ship but now would be needed. Physical therapy had done enough to strengthen the leg, but he hadn’t completed it. He was nowhere near fully healed, in the leg or his heart. If only he had had more time to heal…Maybe things would have turned out differently. There was nothing he could do now but face the music.

He hit the button to lower the ramp and moved to stand at the top, shoulders back and back straight, ready to face whatever waited for him. He’d made a point, when he and his father were prepping for their escape, that the clothes he’d procured were similar enough to his uniform to be comfortable but different enough to keep him from standing out. The clothes still screamed authority, but it was muted in some ways.

Ben stood waiting a little ways away, watching the ramp lower before changing his focus to Cody as he started down the ramp. He started at Cody’s face, tension easing from around the man’s eyes as he saw for himself that Cody was ok. After a year of radio silence, Cody couldn’t blame him. He was doing the same, looking for any differences in his once enemy turned lover. Ben was still as broad in the shoulders as he had been before, but his Pirate’s jacket covered the rest of his torso up. His beard was as neat as ever and….Ben had spotted the cane.

The man’s lips dropped the half smile it had been carrying to turn into a worried frown as Cody moved down the ramp, trying not to lean heavily on the cane, trying to make the injury seem less than it was. Even months after the initial incident, his leg was still recovering. It wasn’t going to slow him down though and Ben needed to know that. Cody was never going to be a liability, not again.

“I thought I’d get some fancy welcoming committee, but instead I get you,” Cody drawled as he limped down the ramp, causing Ben to jerk and draw his eyes back up to Cody’s face.

“They’re over there,” Ben jerked his thumb to men that were sprawled and standing around some cargo crates, looking bored but one or two clearly watched the interaction between their boss and him.

“Ah, the infamous Pirate hospitality. I’m shaking in my boots,” Cody snorted as he drew level with the bottom of the ramp. He knew this was the part that would get him, the part that possibly ruined the image he was carefully holding together, “Is this the part you clap me in irons or you tie me up and make an example out of me?”

“This is the part you get over here,” Ben put his hands on his hips, eyeing him skeptically. “So I can actually make sure you’re ok.”

“Why don’t you come here?” Cody raised an eyebrow right back.

“Because I want you to take that step right there that you’re trying to get around,” Ben said softly but firmly. Cody glanced over at the men again, none of them actively looking at them, before looking back at Ben and sighing. There was no avoiding this. Cody braced on the cane and took the step off the edge of the ramp, the long, long step down the decking below. He’d avoided steps, first at the insistence of his doctors and then of his own preference. He’d fallen down the last step he’d taken, he really didn’t want to risk it happening again.

He thought he had braced himself properly, mentally prepared for what he had to do, but once he set his bad leg down, it was all over. He felt his knee giving as soon as he started to shifted his weight, felt the muscles let him down once more. He was going to fall flat on his face not only in front of Ben but also his men. Not only would this be embarrassing but also open up a can of worms he was hoping to leave on the back shelf for a very long time.

Arms caught him before he smashed his face into the plating beneath him, stopping his fall effectively and swiftly. Those same arms quickly straightened him up, one arm encircling his waist as the other gripped his shoulder, pulling him up and tight against his leather-clad savior, “Easy, easy, Codes. I got you.”

“I told you I didn’t want to,” Cody forced himself to breathe slowly, feeling his heart starting to chime in with the ache coming from his leg. “You didn’t listen.”

“You could’ve said it was bad,” Ben growled, practically lifting Cody off the ground as he slowly moved to where his men had been sitting. They were all standing now, worry evident on their faces. Cody tried to shift away from Ben, get his own legs underneath him, but his heart decided now was a good time to act up. He felt one beat skip, and then a stutter and it was all he could do to not clutch his chest. Shit….shit this was bad.


End file.
